Apartment reloading

Ben
A good friend of mine uses a setup similar to Jmorris’. He has a 550b mounted to a fairly big board. All of his reloading stuff is in the closet. Out of sight.
When he wants to load he pulls it out and mounts it to the kitchen counter with clamps. Loads a few thousand. Then he puts it back in the closet.
Does that make him a closet reloader?

Add another Workmate user to the list. From a sturdiness perspective it is more than adequate. (I'm not loading in an apartment....but I'm in a VERY limited space....literally right next to the furnace.)

I bolted my Lee Classic turret press to a piece of 2x6 when I lived in an apt. and just C-clamped it to whatever was handy: counter, kitchen table etc. Works fine when you have to clean up before children get up.

bjs1187 said:

I’ve looked at the harbor freight bench. Is it decent? I’ve had some HF stuff work really well and other things fail in a big way.

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I would like to give you some advice. I am a twenty-year vet, of a twenty-year vet. I am an expert on packing your crap up and getting the he!! out of Dodge. That bench is heavy, I don't think you want to be moving that around every year or two. But if you do it is a solid bench.

I built free standing floor stands for all my presses. I just nestle them up besides a table when I am reloading. Store them out of the way against the wall when not in use.

When I was on TDY at one of our plants, I was able to take reloading with me for evening entertainment in the apartment.

This is the one for an RCBS Pro2000 prior to painting.

I have a Lee Reloading Stand. It is a great alternative if you don't already have a bench or just need a temp setup. Unlike a bench which is typically not easily moved, I can re-position the stand if I need to make room.
You need to place one or two concrete cinder blocks into the cradle at the bottom. This gives you the stable base for cranking the arm of your press. Because the stand has three legs it can never wobble. I use a Lee Progressive press and the only time it felt like it might tip was when I forgot to put the cinder block back after moving it around.

I also have a single stage Lee press on a spare base block and keep it in the spare press position. I can swap the presses by just loosening four screws.

If you really don't want to buy a bench right now or don't want to dirty up your kitchen table, check out the Lee stand.

I found a nice wood desk at Goodwill that i mounted my presses on. Of course, im lucky enough to have a girlfriend who doesnt mind our bedroom being in the living room and our one bedroom being the "reloading/storage" room.

This stand is about 1/3 the cost of the Lee Stand, a little shorter (32") though, but should work.
https://www.harborfreight.com/universal-bench-grinder-stand-3184.html


I used one of these too, just doubled up the top, put some patio blocks on the bottom shelf, the hardware (screws/bolts) was cheesy though :
https://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-height-heavy-duty-workstation-46725.html

I built an open ended box out of scrap 2x6 about 20'' long, bolted to the top, to use as a riser as I like to stand when I load.
Read the reviews of both,
If I needed another one, I'd buy the bench grinder stand and build a box riser for it.

Here's a folder that has adjustable height:
https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Ar...rd_wg=ERsRa&psc=1&refRID=0WJ0MBKY01AM9GDFB50C
Read the reviews, sold elsewhere too.

When I was in college I found an old buffet by the dumpster. It was about 4’ long and 16” deep. Has doors under it with tons of storage. The storage was a pain to access, you had to lay on the floor and dig. But it was heavy empty, free, looked nice with a dust cover over the press. Kinda wish I still had it.

I have a big old desk now. I left the main space your meant to work open and all corners have a press. Works good for loading as well as anything else you need a quite place to do something. $30 bucks off the FB trader.

Roll around tool box. Can move it where you want it plus built in storage. Fill in for top lip with 1x then hang 2x6 off the end for press.

I use the HF heavy duty workstation that Tilos linked to with two 24"x24"x3/4" plywood glued together as a top to replace the MDF top it comes with. Bullets, brass, and manuals on the bottom shelves make it more than sturdy enough. It's not collapsible but easy enough to move if need be.

Tilos said:

This stand is about 1/3 the cost of the Lee Stand, a little shorter (32") though, but should work.
https://www.harborfreight.com/universal-bench-grinder-stand-3184.html
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In thinking about this, you need to start with the fact that the manuals, calipers, primers, notebook, pen, powder... in short everything on the loading bench can be completely supported by the flimsiest thrift store card table you can find. Everything that is but the press. The press is the ONLY item that requires a substantial bench. So in that sense, the grinder stand Tilos presented has great merit.

Analysis of the forces at work (straight down for sizing, straight up for priming) comprise about 80-85% of what needs to be resisted. The very low side-to-side forces can be ably resisted by simply securing to the studs in the wall behind, which we would advise even with a permanent, custom built bench.

So the simplest bench to construct is also the simplest bench to deconstruct (e.g. move), and consists purely of a single post and an ~18w x14d" top. It might look like this...



I suggest a 6x6 as the monopod. That would allow substantial resistance to compression forces and the weight offers all the resistance required for up-stroke priming. The top only needs to be wide enough to span two studs within the wall, which are usually on 16" centers. A 1x1 metal angle allows the top to affix securely to the wall.

Furthermore, I suggest bolting this to the rear wall of a closet. First, because you can lock a closet and keep inquisitive kids away and safe. Secondly, because a landlord is never going to inspect a closet wall when it comes time to get the deposit refunded.

Not only is this very effective and straightforward, but these are the type materials which can be found for free in any construction dumpster. Additionally, it lends itself to a lot of customization as your dumpster-diving career turns up finished counter tops and other goodies.

Hope this stimulates your own personalized design ideas.

I've bought two desk that served very well for my reloading purposes. The first desk was in our apartment in Great Fall, Mt when I was stationed there in the '60's. My second desk sit in an alcove in our middle bedroom. The desk is a standard desk with three drawers on each side and with a middle drawer. It's 40 inches wide and about 30 inches high. I've mounted on one side my Redding T-7 to an In-Line Fabrication Hi Mount and on the other side is a Quick Mount from In-Line Fabrication that I switch my powder measure and primer tool off and on. The beauty about using a desk is that you can find used ones fairly cheap and you already have built in storage with the drawers. If I ever move again, as I did in Montana, I simply remove my reloading equipment and either sell or discard the desk, or if I want to, take the desk with me. Simply decide on the size of the desk that your room or apt can handle and start searching the want ads.

It's more about who else lives there than what bench to use. Have a 2' x 4' work bench in a one bed room. Not of no fixed address though.
Anyway, the B&D Workmate is you best bet. Look in pawn shops. Measures 29.2 by 8.9 by 29.5". Holds up to 550 lbs. $113.16US on Amazon with free shipping.

I mounted my Dillon 550B on one of these.

Push it up against a wall and it works fine. Cabela's sells them for like $105. I have a larger work table set up near by also, but this is what I mounted my press too. If you load the shelves up below, it helps steady the bench.

I did put two coats of polyurethane on the table top before drilling pilot holes. I then threw a few heavy washers on the bottom and just tightened it down with the bolts. Reloaded last night for the first time, and it worked fine. There is probably 150 lbs of stuff on the shelves with mine.

Hokie_PhD said:

Havok7416 I was thinking the same thing. Plus moving that would be a nightmare.

I usually recommend the Lee handpress, or a single stage or Lee Classic Turret bolted to a board and clamped down to a Workmate for someone who needs a temp setup. Since OP says they have a Dillion progressive, I agree with the suggestions to build a small bench out of 2x4s and plywood.

I’d make it either small enough to move, or so I could unbolt it and reassemble it pretty easy. It just depends on the OPs skill, budget and will.

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This Lee hand press has been my only press for 35 years. It has accounted for unknown 1000's of rounds, mostly handgun cartridges but among them 45-70 too. I acknowledge that it won't be fast enough or modern enough for most reloaders.

I like my Lee hand press. But I use it for depriming as I watch TV. I also have it as something I can grab and go if SHTF.

But I don’t like it for loading more than a few rounds. I like my Lee Classic Turret much better for doing more than a few rounds at a time.

I love that the hand press is inexpensive and something that anyone thinking about reloading can afford. It’s how I spent little to make sure I’d like reloading.

I use my Lee Hand Press while sitting on the living room couch, and I rest it on my left thigh (right handed). My speed (in comparison to other single stage presses) is only limited by my ability to place a case in the shell holder or to place a bullet on the neck. Also, 30 06 cases are easy to full resize if I use enough lube.

Not the best idea but works well for me is a Little Giant MT1-2436-42 Steel Top Machine Table, 24" D x 36" W x 42" H, Gray table. The top is 12-gauge and the table weighs 60 pounds.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LY16MQ0

Nothing is permanently attached - all equipment is attached to 3/4" hardwood plywood that I clamp to the table top as needed. The table is tall so I can stand or use a stool.

Wood shop was not my strong point in Highschool but I built this little bench for about $30 with stuff from Home Depot.
6 8' 2X4s about $12
1 Piece of 1 by scrap $.50 (shelf supports)
1 piece of OSB scrap $1.50 (shelf, glued/screwed another piece of it to the bottom of the top)
4 shelf brackets about $8
Glue and screws about $8

Scrap piece of carpet on the bottom of the legs to keep it from sliding around.

Had to purchase 2 glue clamps to make the top, Harbor Freight about $7.
Not pretty but it works. Size could be adjusted to what will fit. If the top was a little smaller I could have used one less 2X4

In my reloading (oppss garden)shed
(moving stuff around so kind of messy while I re-organize)